Galnet archive

Colonia Bridge Project Launches Phase Three

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

Brewer Corporation intends to improve the travel corridor between the Alcor and Colonia systems by constructing several new starports.

The previous two phases of the Colonia Bridge project established stationary megaships in 56 systems. These provide rest, refuel and repair facilities for vessels making the 22,000 light year journey to and from the Colonia region. The additional infrastructure has also increased the amount of tritium available at these markets, easing the journey for capital-size ships.

A press release from Brewer Corporation outlined this latest initiative:

“Phase three aims to enhance the Colonia Bridge by building permanent starports in key locations along the route. These will offer a wide range of services to travellers, and also serve as homes for the many new communities that we expect to spring up around them.”

“Our plan is to construct one starport in the vicinity of Colonia, and up to five starports stretching out from Alcor. Station structures will be assembled by the 27th of January, with additional services scheduled for implementation at a later date.”

“Pilots are asked to deliver ceramic composites, computer components and thermal cooling units to Jaques Station in the Colonia system and Macdonald Settlement in the Alcor system.”

“Assuming deliveries reach the required level, engineered frame shift drives will once again be available as rewards.”

“The highest contributor in Colonia, and up to the top five contributors in Alcor, will be invited to submit naming suggestions for the new starports. All name submissions will be subject to review by the Brewer Corporation board of directors.”

A Retrospective of 3307 (Part Four)

The last in a series that reviews the events of the past year, by noted historian Sima Kalhana.

“October brought further controversy for the Federation, when a diplomatic conference in the Delta Pavonis system was revealed to be a honey trap designed to capture Yuri Grom. Only a rush of support for EG Union allowed their ruler to escape, causing political embarrassment for President Hudson.”

“There was more corporate drama when Zemina Torval relinquished her long-held majority sharehold of Mastopolos Mining, fuelling rumours of a family rift with her cousins. Torval Mining Ltd became a fully independent corporation run by her daughter Constantia.”

“The Colonia Bridge project officially started the first of two phases this year which would see the construction of 56 megaships between the Alcor and Colonia systems. Brewer Corporation enjoyed great public support for improving this travel corridor along the 22,000 light year journey, and revealed plans to enhance it further in the new year.”

“Hadrian Duval, his wife Lady Astrid and their unborn child were the specific targets of another starport bombing by the NMLA. It proved unsuccessful, but did result in the Imperial Senate offering them protection in order to secure the Duval bloodline. It also led to a manhunt for Theta Seven, the galaxy’s most wanted terrorist.”

“In November, Orion University claimed that the dredger occupied by the Scriveners Clan was legally their property, but the nomadic descendants of its original crew refused to give up their home. The stand-off caught the public attention, with some supporting the clan’s right to independence and others keen to discover what their Knowledge Core contained. Ultimately the Scriveners retained their freedom, sailing off into the void with their secrets intact.”

“Many were shocked when Admiral Tanner, Aegis’s military chief, went rogue and tried to force access to a starport controlled by Salvation’s allies. His conviction that the anti-xeno superweapons were responsible for provoking the Thargoids was, however, not enough to win the day.”

“The NMLA threw everything they had at the Mudhrid system in an attempt to rescue Theta Seven, who was hiding among the Far God cult to avoid capture. But the terrorists were crushed by ACT and a coalition of ships, with Theta Seven martyring himself by destroying the hijacked megaship Sacrosanct.”

“A happier event in December was the birth of Hector Duval, son and heir of Hadrian and Lady Astrid. There were celebrations across the Empire, but also questions asked about the future of the Duval dynasty and if the child might one day inherit the Imperial throne.”

“The year ended as it had begun, with Thargoid vessels swarming into nebula systems. But with incursions steadily increasing over recent months, there were fears that this time they might prove unstoppable. Salvation’s superweapons were once again deployed to halt the aliens’ progress, but will they be enough to prevent the Thargoids from threatening humanity in 3308?”

Colonia Bridge Project Extended to 3308

*Pilots’ Federation ALERT*

The second phase of the Colonia Bridge project is complete, with Brewer Corporation confirming details for phase three.

An additional 26 megaships have taken up stationary positions in systems between Alcor and Colonia. Along with the existing 30 megaships, these will provide convenient rest, refuel and repair facilities to those travelling to and from the distant Colonia region.

A press release from Brewer Corporation addressed the next steps:

“The galactic community has made enormous contributions to establishing the Colonia Bridge. Encouraged by this, we have revised our plans and increased investment in the project.”

“The next phase is scheduled to commence on the 6th of January 3308, and will add starports to key locations along the route. These will provide further services and opportunities to pilots, as well as forming permanent micro-communities between the core systems and Colonia.”

“Phase three will also address the availability of tritium, to improve refuelling capacity for owners of our Drake-class fleet carriers. To incentivise the delivery of vital materials, we will be offering the same engineered frame shift drives that proved so popular during phase two.”

Colonia Bridge Project Faces Possible Changes

Brewer Corporation is enhancing the travel corridor to Colonia, but details about the project’s next phase remain uncertain.

Business-related newsfeed The Tau Ceti Journal published this feature:

“There’s no doubt that Brewer Corporation always thinks big. It has enjoyed huge commercial success as a manufacturer of starports and outposts, and its Drake-class fleet carrier has been enormously popular.”

“The Colonia Bridge is the megacorp’s most expensive undertaking yet, investing hundreds of billions of credits on the transportation infrastructure between the core systems and Colonia. More than one analyst predicted that the project might financially destabilise them.”

“The first two phases proceeded on schedule. Before the end of this month, there will be a chain of 56 stationary megaships along systems between Alcor and Colonia.”

“But there are rumours of a change of plans for phase three, which may be early next year. It is believed that Brewer Corporation is revising its plans based on the unexpectedly high levels of participation from the galactic community.”

“In support of this, one company insider did reveal that more engineered frame shift drives are being manufactured, to be offered as incentives to contributing pilots in the third phase.”

Colonia Bridge Gains Further Resources

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Successful campaigns in the Alcor and Colonia systems will result in new megaships being added to the Colonia Bridge.

Large quantities of ceramic composites, computer components and thermal cooling units were provided at either end of the route between the core systems and the distant Colonia region.

Brewer Corporation provided an update on the project:

“Once again, the galactic community has provided the vital materials required to construct dockable megaships. These additional ports should be operational by the 25th of November, making journeys to and from Colonia easier and safer.”

“Pilots can now collect their rewards from Macdonald Settlement in the Alcor system and Jaques Station in the Colonia system. We shall also be awarding an engineered frame shift drive with long range and fast boot to the majority of contributors.”

The top ten pilots who delivered materials to Alcor and Colonia will shortly be invited to submit suggestions to name the new megaships. Submissions will be subject to review by the Brewer Corporation board of directors. To ensure a variety of choice, only pilots who have not yet submitted names for the Colonia Bridge megaships will be eligible.

Long-Lost Research Facility Discovered

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

A distress call has led independent pilots to locate an abandoned settlement in the Snake Sector GW-W c1-1 system.

The SOS was initially detected by one of the megaships that form the Colonia Bridge, inspiring many ships to search nearby systems. The source was eventually identified as Holloway Bioscience Research Facility 15 on the moon Snake Sector GW-W c1-1 AB 5 b.

Pilots unearthed a series of mission logs recorded in the year 3255 by a freelance military unit named Excalibur Troop. As yet, the contents of these logs have not been made available to newsfeeds.

Aanya Gupta, CEO of the Holloway Bioscience Institute, gave a statement to the press:

“Research Facility 15 was one of the first wave of planetary survey laboratories established by our founder, the esteemed scientist Lord Roland Holloway. Our records of these settlements are patchy, so we are grateful that this has been located.”

“Unfortunately, we can find no data regarding Excalibur Troop or the circumstances under which they were contracted. Our investigative teams are on-site to gather further information.”

The Holloway Bioscience Institute refused to comment on rumours that a previously unidentified life form had been encountered by the research facility’s original crew.

Colonia Bridge Project Enters Phase Two

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Brewer Corporation requests deliveries in the Alcor and Colonia systems for the next phase of the Colonia Bridge project.

A successful initiative in October resulted in the placement of 30 dockable megaships at intervals of several hundred light years, providing services such as refuelling and repairs. The second phase seeks to establish this support for the full route between the core systems and the Colonia region.

A press release from Brewer Corporation stated:

“We are now ready to continue work on the Colonia Bridge, by constructing additional megaships to fill the middle of the planned route. As before, we require shipments of ceramic composites, computer components and thermal cooling units at Macdonald Settlement in the Alcor system or Jaques Station in the Colonia system.”

“Should deliveries reach sufficient levels, the top 75% of contributors will be awarded an engineered frame shift drive with increased range and faster boot sequence. Our hope is that this encourages deep space explorers and long-distance haulers to take part in the Colonia Bridge project.”

As an additional reward, the top ten contributors at Alcor and Colonia will be invited to submit naming suggestions for the new megaships. Submissions will be subject to review by the Brewer Corporation board of directors. To ensure a variety of choice, only pilots who have not yet submitted names for the Colonia Bridge megaships will be eligible.

Initial Stage of Colonia Bridge Operational

*Pilots Federation ALERT*

Thirty megaships have been placed between the core systems and the Colonia region to serve as stationary ports.

Twenty-five dockable megaships were sent out from the Alcor system toward Colonia, taking position in systems approximately 400 to 500 light years apart. Five further megaships have been established from the direction of the Colonia system.

Each vessel serves as a permanent way station for travellers and businesses, designed to improve the journey to and from Colonia. A variety of services are provided, including tritium refuelling for Drake-class fleet carriers.

The Colonia Bridge is the product of Brewer Corporation, which ran a highly successful deliveries campaign to collect resources. The megacorp has confirmed that phase two of this project will commence next week.

During the creation of the Colonia Bridge, the crew aboard the stationary megaship Memories of Oresrati in the Snake Sector OD-S b4-2 system reported an unusual incident. A distorted transmission that could have been an SOS was detected on long-range sensors. Although they were unable to triangulate its source, the signal strength suggested a point of origin within 50 light years.